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Geary’s Kandace Pitts reaches in for the ball during a game last week. The Lady Bison fell to Watonga 58- 21. (Photo provided by Brenda Geels) -
Geary’s Keaton Akridge goes up for two points in front of a sprawling Watonga defender. The team lost to Watonga, 71-44. (Photo provided by Brenda Geels)
Girls drop game to Watonga, cancel others
COVID-19 continues to hit the Geary girls basketball program with gut punches.
The girls had two more games canceled in the past week (Friday vs. Gracemont and Monday vs.Aline-Cleo) and managed only one game against Watonga, a 58-21 loss.
Coach Tammy Bates is in her first year at Geary (O-4 on the season), but she brings almost 30 years experience to the table.
She’s hasn’t seen anything comparable.
A new coach will rely on summer workouts and intense practices to install her program and get buy-in from the team.
Watonga has had maybe eight practices in total, Bates said.
“I really thing the girls are working hard,” she said. “We have some learning to do, and it’s just a matter of being more consistent.”
The team just isn’t shooting the ball well, Bates said.
“We don’t really have a natural scorer,” she said. “We just haven’t had the practice time. Some people have to be in gym and shoot, and shoot, and shoot.”
A teacher at Geary tested positive last week for COVID-19, and forced the schools into virtual learning. The further complicates a season already heavily impacted by the virus.
There are four games left in the season, and Bates doesn’t know how many the team will play, or if or when it will be able to practice.
District play will start in mid-February.
Boys drop game to Watonga
The Geary Bison played one game last week, at home against rival Watonga.
The boys lost to the Eagles 71-44, and in the process fell to 0-4 on the season.
The team has four games left on the schedule, but depending on COVID-19 protocols, it remains to be seen how many of those games will be played before district play starts in mid-February.